


Bucky Barnes and the Real-Life, Honest-to-Goodness, Genuine-Imitation Merman.

by Plumcot



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aquarium, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aquariums, Bucky "Bear-Wrestling" Barnes, M/M, Mermaid Performers, Merpeople, Steve "Fight Me" Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-27 04:49:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5034340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plumcot/pseuds/Plumcot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky Barnes works in an aquarium, as an assistant curator. Steve Rogers also works in an aquarium, as a merman performer; every day he slips on a rubber tail and swims around in the big tank, waving to kids and twirling around in the water. This wouldn't be a problem for Bucky except...</p><p>Except that Bucky is secretly obsessed with merpeople. Key word "secretly". And it's a lot harder to contain his fanboying when there's a living, breathing, not-quite-genuine-but-as-close-as-you're-gonna-get merman right in his workspace. And that merman happens to be the most gorgeous person Bucky's ever seen in his life.</p><p>Cue Bucky's quest to woo Steve without ever actually revealing why he caught his eye in the first place. Can Bucky be smooth and charming with someone he actually cares about impressing, all while keeping his ridiculous secret?</p><p>Answer; no. No he can't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_When Bucky Barnes was five years old, he discovered mermaids._

_He found them nestled between the pages of a picture book, weaving through kelp forests and combing their hair on rocks. His eyes grew wide as soon as he saw them, and he spent a good five minutes trying to turn the page, but always turning back for one more peek at their glimmering tails, their impish smiles and infinite grace. It was then that Bucky decided he wanted that. He wanted all of it. He wanted to run away from his life on land, shed his legs, dive into the water and never look back. Other boys had astronauts, cowboys or ninjas; Bucky had mermaids._

_The pages on the book grew wrinkled, the spine worn and cracked from the hours it had spent lying open for Bucky to gaze at. But then Bucky went to school, and none of the other boys liked mermaids there. None of the other boys seemed to like that he liked mermaids._

_So he left the mermaids behind for astronauts, cowboys and ninjas._

_Or that’s what he wanted them to think._

. . . 

“How’s that?” Bucky’s voice echoed off the tiled walls.

Tony glanced up, eyeing his work from across the room. “Uh… closer to the glass, I think. They’ve gotta be able to swim right up to the kids.”

By “they”, he meant the mermaids. Mermaid performers, anyhow; the aquarium had hired a duo to do shows in the big tank. The tubes blew a steady stream of air that the performers could take a breath of whenever they ran out, so that they didn’t have to breach water and spoil the illusion. 

Bucky nodded and picked the tube back up, careful not to fall into the water as he shuffled it closer to the tank walls. “Better?”

“Yeah, that should be fine.” Tony dropped his own tube, nodded at a job well done, and stood. He clapped imaginary dust off his hands and grinned. “Mermaids, huh? What’s next? Are we gonna get a kraken exhibit soon?”

Bucky laughed as they both started meandering off of the platform above the tank.

“Hey,” Tony said over his shoulder, “you thinking of catching the show?”

Bucky shook his head. “Nah, not really my thing.”

Tony laughed. “Right, right. You’ll be too busy wrestling bears or some other manly shit.”

Bucky raised one eyebrow. “More like doing paperwork. Some of us actually have work to do.”

“Oh fuck you, Barnes.” Tony laughed. “I do, in fact, have work to do, and it’s a very prestigious job. Only offered to the most trusted of employees.”

Bucky laughed. “Bruce-sitting?”

“You know it. He’s an amazing biologist, but he’s no good to us if he doesn’t remember to eat.” He started off down the hallway. “See ya later!”

Bucky gave Tony a small wave as he bounced away down the hall. He waited until he was completely out of view. He checked right and left, making sure there wasn’t anyone to see him.

Then a smile broke out across his face, and he proceeded to jump up and down and make stifled giggling noises like a little kid who was just told they’d get to meet Santa.

 _Mermaids! Actual mermaids! Well, not real mermaids, but still!_ There was no way he was missing that show. He didn’t care if he had to go in a damn disguise, he’d been waiting his whole life to meet a real live mermaid, and this was the closest he was ever going to get. The only problem with the show was that he didn’t know if he could contain himself. Would a grown man freaking out about mermaids in the middle of a crowd of children look weird?

Yes. Yes it would.

_Okay, calm down. You’re Bucky “Bear-Wrestling” Barnes, remember? Think about football. Alcohol. Cigars._

He took a deep breath, but he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. He tried to at least tone it down before heading toward the office to actually do some paperwork. 

He was almost to the office when he heard someone calling him from behind. “Excuse me? Sir?”

He turned around to see who was talking to him, and had to stop himself from gaping. Before him stood a gorgeous man, small and willowy and with a mop of shaggy blonde hair that only just fell over his eyes. There was a woman with him, but Bucky barely paid attention to her for all he was drinking this guy in.

Bucky slapped himself mentally. _No staring at the visitors!_ “Can I help you?”

“Yeah,” the guy said, “could you please point me toward the main tank?”

“Oh, yeah.” Bucky pointed back where he’d just came from. “Down there and to your left.”

“Thanks!” The guy smiled and took off, the woman in tow.

…The woman Bucky belatedly realized was probably his girlfriend. Shit. There went his plans of seducing this guy next chance he got. It was a longshot, anyway; coming onto visitors while on the job was poor form. Bucky sighed and started back off toward the office. Talk about the one that got away…  
Just under an hour later, Bucky looked up at the clock on the wall, swore, and pushed himself away from his desk like it was on fire. 

The show was starting soon. 

He managed to walk quickly rather than running, but it felt like trying to hold the lid on a can of industrial springs through sheer willpower. He passed a few coworkers in the halls who smiled and waved, and he smiled and waved back. _Hello there other normal adult, no I am not going to watch the mermaids I’m just on my way to do responsible adult things._

Finally he made it to the big tank. There was already a huge crowd of children up against the glass, but it didn’t matter; not like he was gonna be front and center anyway. He found an out-of-the-way corner he could watch from, close enough to get a good view but not exposed enough that any of his coworkers might see him. 

He craned his neck a bit so he could see over the kids, and suddenly she came into view. A redhead, with a green tail and a purple shell-bra. She’d probably figured since she already had the hair, she might as well go the whole way. He smiled as he watched her floating around and blowing little kisses to the kids, but soon that smile turned into a frown as he realized he recognized her.

His eyebrows went up. She was the woman from before, the one walking around with the beautiful blond guy. Looked like she wasn’t a visitor after all.

_Wait a minute… there’s two performers. So that means-_

And then he came into view, and Bucky’s breath hitched. The man from before was in the tank too, gliding around in a shimmering blue tail, his slight form cutting through the water like a ribbon through air. He moved like grace itself and when he smiled it was like sunshine, his golden hair floating about his head like a halo. He looked otherworldy. Bucky was equally suspicious that if he touched him he would feel like silk, and that he might not be able to touch him at all.

Then the merman caught a glimpse of Bucky and smiled and waved right at him, and Bucky’s heart leapt into his throat. He couldn’t stop himself from gaping, watching him like he was the only thing that mattered in the world. 

Until twenty minutes later, when Bucky realized he had something called a job that he had to take care of. It took actual physical effort to tear himself away from the tank, and when he did he felt like he’d lost something. Like he should’ve gathered up his minutes watching the merman and saved them somehow, to treasure again and again.

But then he realized the merman worked here. Bucky had plenty of chances to see the show, and maybe even get to know the man behind the tail. 

It was only that thought that made him able to go back to working. It was all he could do to keep himself from visibly jittering with excitement until an hour later, when he knew the show was ending, and he immediately headed to the big tank.

When he got up to the platform above the tank, he found the performers sitting on the platform struggling to get out of their tails. “Hey, uh… need some help?”

The merman looked up and gave Bucky a smile that almost knocked him out at the knees. “Thanks for offering, but I think I’ve almost got it.” He gave a few final tugs, and the tail slipped all the way off, revealing slender, milky-white legs that Bucky had to force himself not to fixate on. The merman sighed in relief and stood up, stretching his back and wincing a bit. Once he’d gotten the kink out of his back, he smiled again and offered his hand to Bucky. “Nice to meet you! The name’s Steve.” He said as they shook hands. “And that’s Natasha.” He gestured to the redhead, who was folding her own tail into a black duffle bag. 

Bucky flashed him his winning smile, the one that got Joanie Caulfield to go out with him in tenth grade. “The name’s James, but you can call me Bucky; I’m one of the assistant curators. So, uh…” he laughed. “Professional merman, huh? Sounds like a dream job. All you gotta do is swim around and get paid."

Steve’s smile got a little tighter. “Actually, it’s harder than you’d think. It's a very physically taxing job.”

 _Shit._ “Oh, um- yeah, of course, but I mean, it’s not really-”

Natasha shot him a piercing glare. “Not a real job?”

Bucky tried to explain himself, he really did. What he wanted to say was that it must be fun enough to outweigh the hard work, that he’d give almost anything to do what they did. But he found that he couldn’t admit his love of merfolk even to someone who’d been in a tail a few seconds ago, and combined with his stifling nervousness about impressing Steve… he couldn’t seem to force out any words. 

So instead, he stood there floundering until Steve and Natasha pushed past him and out of the tank. As soon as they were out of view, he smacked his palm against his forehead. “Stupid, stupid, stupid…” he muttered, slinking back to his office with his tail between his legs. 

. . . 

That night, Bucky got back to his apartment, went straight to his bedroom – the bedroom which was covered walls-to-shelves with merfolk memorabilia – and immediately flopped face-first onto his bed. The conversation with Steve kept playing on repeat in his head, each rerun bringing a new weight of piercing shame.

If he’d told his younger self about this, he was pretty sure he would’ve been smacked in the face. Dating a merman had simultaneously been one of his biggest and least-likely life goals since he was about twelve years old. The fact that he could have had that and blew it? Stung. 

He turned on his side, just enough to grab the octopus plushie on his bed and squish it to his chest. If anyone had been looking, the purple octopus with the huge eyes would have looked comical juxtaposed with Bucky’s deep frown. As it was, Bucky chose not to think about how ridiculous he looked as he continued to brood over the octopus.

 _You blew it, Barnes. Might as well suck it up and admit it. Not like “you own a tail and therefore I worship you” is any kinda basis for a relationship anyway…_

. . . 

The next day, Bucky found he could barely concentrate. Through touching up tanks and doing paperwork, he found himself going over his conversation with Steve in his head, figuring out how he could have done it better. He planned out every single word, adjusted the timing of every charming smile down to the beat. It was cathartic in a way, but painful more so, knowing that he’d never get to go back in time and just fix the whole conversation.

Then a bit before noon he passed the big tank, and if his thoughts had been drifting before, now they were in the middle of the ocean.

He couldn’t help but picture Steve in that tank. His blinding smile as he glided through the water. His sky-blue tail shimmering like a dream as it caught the light. And maybe Bucky swimming up to him, his tail a deep, jewel-blue, reaching up and taking Steve’s chin in his-

He shook his head, biting his cheek to bring himself out of the daydream. He’d blown it already; best not to torture himself with imagining what could have been.

“Barnes!”

Bucky jolted, and snapped his head around to find Brock striding up to him, with that huge grin that always seemed to surprise Bucky when it didn’t reveal shark teeth. 

Bucky forced a smile. “Uh, hey, what’s up?”

Brock clapped him on the back. “Nothin’ much, nothin’ much.” He laughed. “You looked pretty zoned out there for a second. What’re you, high?”

Bucky thought for a moment. _What sounds cool?_ “On the job? Nah.”

Brock laughed again. It sounded like grating metal. He glanced up at the tank and smirked. “I can’t get over that merman shit. I mean, I can appreciate a girl in a tail and a bikini top, but a guy? What kind of prissy fuck do you have to be, am I right?”

“Uh-” Bucky started floundering. He was supposed to go along, but forcing himself to make fun of Steve was almost physically painful. Which was why he was equal parts terrified and grateful when he saw Steve over Brock’s shoulder, marching toward them like wrath personified.

Steve got right up in front of Brock, chest puffed up and chin high. “Just because you’ve decided to let your toxic idea of masculinity rule your life doesn’t mean I have to.”

Brock laughed, but Bucky didn’t miss the nervous twitch of his eyebrows. “Doesn’t change the fact that no real man would be caught dead in makeup and a fucking tail.”

Bucky looked at Steve, and _shit_ was he seething. He wouldn’t have been surprised if fire had bubbled up out of his eyes. “’Real man’ don’t mean nothing.” A bit of Brooklyn seeped into Steve’s voice, and Bucky’s eyebrows hiked up. “Only thing that matters is being a good person. And you sure as hell ain’t one.”

In his head, Bucky started cheering. It was like witnessing a single warrior take down the Roman Empire. In that moment he had nothing but pride for Steve, having somehow convinced himself that they were on the same side in this.

And then Steve walked away, and as he did he shot Bucky a vile look that had him recoiling on the spot. His heart sank as he realized that by not sticking up for Steve himself, he’d fallen on the wrong side.

At the same time, as he watched Steve disappear around the corner he found himself wanting to follow. That fire he’d seen in Steve, that blazing righteousness; it made him want to be worthy of it. To tend it and serve it, to stay in the glow of that fire so that maybe he could pretend a bit of it was his, just by virtue of its heat on his skin.

And in that moment, Bucky was fucked. When it was just Steve’s looks and his tail he was after, he might’ve had a chance of forgetting about him. But now?

Now Bucky didn’t think he could let go. 

. . . 

He tried. Oh, did he try. Over the next week, Bucky tried every day to strike up a conversation with Steve, but he failed every time. Whether it was because Steve didn’t want anything to do with him, or because he’d finally decided to give him a chance but Bucky’s stupid mouth decided to run itself without his permission, he always crashed and burned.

He kept watching the performances, too. He never let himself _stay_ and watch anymore – because how creepy would that be, just standing at the back of the crowd secretly watching a guy you know hates your guts – but he always made excuses to pass by the big tank during a show, getting as many glimpses of Steve as he could before he had to make himself scarce.

On Friday Bucky was in the office with Tony, and somehow the conversation ended up getting shifted to Steve.

“Yeah, by now the entire aquarium has figured out about your little mission.” Tony sniggered, chucking wads of paper at the wastebasket. “Tell me, how does a man manage to screw up asking someone out five times in a row?”

Bucky groaned and wadded up his own piece of paper, only to chuck it at Tony’s head instead of the basket. “Dickwad.”

Tony just laughed louder. “You either have horrible aim or incredible aim.” He tossed the paper into the wastebasket, and threw his arms up when he made the shot.

“I just- haven’t figured out the right approach, is all.” Bucky mumbled, looking anywhere but at Tony’s eyes.

“Well he’s a merman, right?” Tony grinned. “Need me’n some of the guys to hide behind corners singing ‘Kiss the Boy’ for ya?”

Bucky’s cheeks immediately turned red. He swiveled in his chair and pretended to be very interested in something on the wall opposite Tony.

“It’s a shame, too. He’s a pretty cool guy.”

Bucky’s eyebrows shot up. “What? How would you know?” He felt a little ridiculous talking to the wall, but the blush was still going strong.

“Oh y’know, we hang out every once in a while. He’s already pretty good friends with most of the staff.”

Bucky swiveled back around in his chair and thunked his head on the desk.

Tony chuckled and wheeled his chair over, and Bucky felt him patting his back. “There there, my poor fool.”

Bucky just groaned, and started rhythmically whacking his head against the desk.

 _He’s already pretty good friends with most of the staff._ So that meant Bucky was the only one he didn’t like. In a sea of aquarium staff, Bucky had somehow managed to make himself out as the worst of the bunch. Well, not _the_ worst. There was still-

Shit. He was on the same level as Brock.

To Steve, Bucky was an obnoxious mermaid-hating asshole and it was all his own damn fault.

The entire rest of the day, he felt like a dark cloud was following him. Up until now, every encounter with Steve had been fueled only by blind optimism. By that little sliver of hope that maybe if he could just get the words right, Steve would magically like him.

He felt that little sliver of hope get pulled from him, and it left a stinging hole.

When the workday finally ended, Bucky was leaving through the gift shop when he caught a glimpse of the shelf full of mermaid merchandise. The aquarium had started stocking it right after they’d hired the performers. He’d been lowkey coveting all of it ever since it came in, but he’d always denied himself, not wanting to have to explain the purchase to the cashier.

But fuck it. He was having a bad day.

He picked up a mermaid plushie, spun a lie for the cashier about it being for his niece (she fell for it easily with the charming smile thrown in the mix) and stuffed it into his coat pocket before leaving.

And he promptly forgot about it. 

. . . 

The next day, Bucky was walking around the back halls of the aquarium when he heard someone singing. It was deep but lovely, and it only took him a second to realize it was Steve.

Bucky knew Steve used the men’s employee bathroom to take his makeup off after a show. Now he was doing just that, while crooning the sweet melody of “Part of Your World”. The lyrics became clearer the closer Bucky got, and by the time he was right outside the bathroom door, he couldn’t help himself. He leaned against the wall and started singing along under his breath. He’d known every word by heart since he was ten years old. It was such a comforting rhythm to fall into that he didn’t realize he wasn’t quite being quiet until Steve threw the bathroom door open.

Bucky startled and jumped back, windmilling his arms to keep from falling over. He heard something plop to the ground, and looked down in horror to see that the forgotten mermaid plushie had fallen out of his pocket.

He looked up at Steve, who was staring at him with a bewildered expression.

_Use the niece excuse, Buck. Come on, it worked on the cashier, just tell him it’s for your niece and get the hell outta Dodge!_

But Bucky’s mouth wasn’t working. So he called on his legs, and ran.

He hightailed it through the hallways like a fish out of a shark’s mouth. He had only just enough presence of mind not to run out into the main aquarium and scare the visitors, and he ended up slowing to a brisk walk when he reached the small creatures display. He rushed out the back of the aquarium where he sat down in the corner between the wall and the back steps, rested his head on his knees and panicked.

A few minutes later, he heard the door open. He didn’t look up; he knew who it was. He froze in place, bracing himself to ride out the storm.

Steve’s footsteps came to a stop right in front of Bucky, and it took Bucky a second to realize Steve wasn’t yelling at him for being a stalker or anything. Slowly he lifted his head, and he was equal parts relieved and confused to find that Steve didn’t look angry. He still just looked bewildered, like someone had just told him there’d been a snowstorm in the Sahara desert. 

Then Bucky saw the mermaid plushie in Steve’s hand, and he started to panic again. His mouth opened and closed like a gasping fish.

Steve sighed and perched himself on the edge of the concrete steps. He gestured at Bucky with the mermaid. “So I’m guessing there’s a story here?”

Bucky’s mind, which had been whirling with panic and fear, jammed to a stop. Suddenly there were two very clear decisions laid out in front of him. Before he could chicken out, he mustered up all his courage and chose door number two.

He looked at the ground. “I, uh… okay so I’m kinda obsessed with mermaids.”

He didn’t have to see Steve to know his eyebrows had just flown up. Steve shuffled off the steps and sat next to Bucky. “I thought you hated all that stuff?”

Bucky laughed bitterly. “Well then, the act is working, huh?” He sucked in a breath. “Mermaids- and merfolk have been pretty much my life since I was a little kid. But then I grew up and went to school, and… the other kids didn’t like that so much. And I mean, I could’ve been brave. I could’ve toughed it out and carved out my own path and not let anybody get to me, but-”

He paused and looked up at Steve. His face was soft with worry, but he could still see that fire from before written all over him, etched straight into who he was. 

Bucky sighed. “But I’m made of weaker stuff than you.”

Steve’s face softened even further. “Doesn’t make you weak, Buck.” He looked Bucky level in the eyes, like he was hoping the message would slide out over their gaze. “You did what you felt you had to do, and it’s not your fault you felt like that. That’s the world’s problem, not yours.”

There was a moment in which they just looked at each other. Bucky felt a red tinge creeping onto his cheeks, ashamed that he needed comforting. And at the same time, too in need of comfort to turn it away.

Steve smiled and elbowed him lightly in the shoulder. “And for the record, I don’t think any of the guys here would mind if you were into mermaids. They don’t seem to have a problem with me; what difference would one more make?”

With that he stood up, pressed the plushie into Bucky’s hands, and went back into the aquarium. 

Bucky sat there cradling the plushie for a good minute before he stumbled back inside, a little dopey grin taking up residence on his face. 

. . . 

The next day, Bucky got up the nerve to ask Steve out one last time. He tripped over a few words and his face turned a little red, but Steve said yes, and in that moment he felt like his heart was going to burst. They went out to dinner and talked about work and college and fictional merfolk biology. (Bucky prefers mammalian mermaids, while Steve leans towards the more fish-like.) Bucky learned that Steve works at an art supply store when he’s not swimming around, and that he got into mermaids when he was fourteen and realized they were wonderful to sketch.

Then Steve drove Bucky home and gave him a kiss on the cheek at the door, and Bucky floated all the way up to his bed and hugged his octopus while grinning like an idiot for the next ten minutes. 

. . . 

The day after that, Bucky watched Steve’s show like always, and for the first time since- well, since the first time, Steve waved at Bucky from inside the tank. And this time Bucky smiled and waved back. He saw Natasha glance between the two of them and then shoot Steve a knowing smirk before getting back in character.

Then in the office, Bucky found himself singing “Kiss the Girl” under his breath. Someone poked him in the shoulder, and he turned to see Tony, giving him an amused look.

“I didn’t know you liked The Little Mermaid.”

Bucky only had to hesitate for a second before answering, “Yeah, actually. It’s my favorite movie.”


	2. Bucky Barnes and the Real-Life, Honest-to-Goodness, Genuine-Imitation Merman Tail

When Bucky woke up, he immediately noticed the arms wrapped around him from behind. He grinned lazily and turned over, snuggling into Steve’s chest. “G’mornin.”

Steve laughed and kissed the top of his head. “Mornin’, Buck. You know what day it is today, right?”

Bucky froze. Shit, what did he forget? Was it Valentine’s day? Steve’s birthday? Some anniversary he was supposed to remember?”

“Uh…”

Steve laughed again and smacked him lightly on the head. “It’s your birthday, ya big lug!”

Oh. Oh. Bucky looked up and smiled. “Hey, it is! Happy birthday to me!”

“Happy birthday to you.” Steve pressed a kiss to Bucky’s lips and then hopped out of bed, eyes gleaming. “Now c’mon, I made us breakfast!”

It was just over a year since Steve and Bucky started dating. Bucky moved in with Steve three months ago, and so far it’d been heaven. He woke up every morning to Steve’s smile, bright enough to outshine the morning sun. They bumped elbows in the kitchen and over the bathroom sink, laughing and threatening to throw each other out to make room. Probably the hardest thing about moving in had been deciding whether he was brave enough to bring his octopus plushie, Squishy. The thought alone of saying his name out loud was enough to make him cringe in embarrassment. He’d considered leaving Squishy behind and pretending he’d never existed, but then Steve found him and decided it would be a crime to leave him, and Bucky fell in love a little bit more. 

After breakfast, Steve gave Bucky a little wrapped package and watched with an impish grin as he opened it. It was a small, porcelain merman figurine. A smile grew across Bucky’s face. “It’s beautiful… thank you, I love it!” 

Steve hid a laugh behind his hand and Bucky frowned in confusion.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing! Nothing, I’m glad you like it!” He kissed Bucky and then hopped back, bouncing on the heels of his feet. “Hey, we gotta get ready for work, huh?”

. . .

Since Steve was only at the aquarium for at most two hours every day, they left for work separately, Bucky to the aquarium and Steve to the art supply store.   
As soon as Bucky stepped foot into the office, Tony shouted “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” And Bucky jumped about two feet in the air.

“Jesus Christ, Tony!” Bucky clutched his chest and leaned against the wall.

Tony laughed, his head thrown back. “Oh my god, your fucking face!” He grinned. “Hey, hey, your present’s on your desk, go open it!”

Bucky looked to his desk and crept toward it with the same apprehension one might have toward a sleeping crocodile. Presents were a crap-shoot with Tony. Either they were insanely awesome, or they literally exploded. Harmless explosions, but heart-stopping ones. Bucky knew from experience.

The present was a long rectangle wrapped in blue paper. Bucky picked it up like he was handling a bomb – for all he knew he could’ve been – and carefully tore the paper away to reveal a wooden box underneath. He lifted the lid to find…

“A fork?” Bucky picked up the silver fork and looked it all over, confused.

“No, no, not a fork!” Tony grinned. “A dinglehopper!”

Bucky blinked, and then broke out into laughter.   
Things were so much better since he’d come clean about his love of mermaids. Not only had a huge weight been lifted off his shoulders, but Tony kept making sure he took every opportunity to throw something mermaid-related Bucky’s way. Bucky’s email was full of mermaid art and mermaid stories and mermaid gifs, and he loved it.  
He glanced from the fork – the _dinglehopper_ – then back to Tony, and smirked. 

Phil walked in thirty seconds later to find Tony on the ground laughing, and Bucky combing a fork through his hair, grinning and asking what was so funny.

He immediately walked back out.

. . .

There were little things the rest of the day. Thor – one of the dolphin trainers – gave him a bear-hug that left a few muscles sore. Bruce stumbled out of hiding long enough to say happy birthday – there was a pause in between the words that made Bucky think he might have forgotten the word “birthday” for a moment – and give him a cute little mermaid-shaped keychain. Loki actually said happy birthday to him as well which was more than he’d spoken to him in the past year combined, so Bucky took it as a great honor.

And every time Bucky had something to do at the big tank, Tony would jump up and say “I’ve got it!” 

“Tony, really you don’t have to-”

“Psh, it’s your birthday! Take a load off, use the free time to squeal about mermaids on Tumblr or something.”

“I- I don’t-”

“Yeah. You do.”

Which was… nice, but puzzling. Especially since he didn’t seem to have an interest in any of the other jobs. Like, for instance, paperwork, which Bucky _actually_ hated.

It didn’t keep him from stopping off at the big tank around noon for Steve’s show, though. He nestled himself just behind the seahorse tank as usual, and watched his boyfriend with a dopey grin on his face, one he didn’t have to hide anymore.

It’d been a year, and Bucky had yet to get over the fact that his boyfriend owned a tail. A beautiful one, too. Wispy veil-like tail-fin, and shimmering sky-blue scales that brought out his eyes. Bucky got stuck on the way it moved sometimes. And he’d have to admit, sometimes he got a little… jealous.

Steve caught his eye, and Bucky smiled. Steve smiled back, glanced down to his tail and back to Bucky… then smiled wider and went back to the show.

. . .

Closing time. Bucky was all packed up and ready to head out, eager to get home to his sweetheart, when the boyfriend in question came walking down the hallway, grabbed Bucky’s arm, spun him around and marched him back in the direction he’d come from.

“Wh- what- Steve?” Bucky sputtered. “What are you- it’s after closing, how did you get in?”

“Tony let me in.” 

Bucky frowned. “Okay, but why?”

Steve grinned. “You’ll see!”

He dragged him all the way to the big tank, up to the platform above. Bucky only grew more confused as he shuffled around behind a few coiled-up tubes and dragged out a large, wrapped box. “Happy birthday!” Steve grinned, shoving the box across the floor until it stopped at Bucky’s feet.

Bucky stared at it. “I thought the figurine…”

Steve shook his head. “Decoy present. This is the real one. Open it up!”

Bucky glanced from the box to Steve and back, and finally sat down in front of it and started tearing off wrapping paper.

He opened the box, and inside was nestled… a rubber tail. Steve’s tail? No, this one wasn’t sky-blue like Steve’s, but a deep jewel-blue. He pulled it out and inspected the tail-fin; it was solid and powerful-looking, as opposed to Steve’s wispy veil. His eyes grew wider the longer he stared at it, and finally he looked up to Steve, who was smiling at him like he’d been waiting for months to see the look on his face.

“I- oh my god, Steve-” Bucky’s voice cracked. A smile spread over his face completely without his permission, and he jumped up and threw his arm around Steve, peppering him with kisses and squeaking “thank you thank you thank you!” in between each one.

Steve started laughing and didn’t stop for a good while. Finally he managed to get his breathing under control and said between laughs, “Bucky! Pft, Buck, don’t ya wanna try it on?”

Bucky paused, and looked at him with wide eyes. “Really?”

“’Course, whaddya think I brought ya up here for?”

Bucky lit up and immediately scrambled for the tail. Steve brought out his own (along with a couple of swim shorts for the both of them) and helped him get his on. 

It was a headache to get into the tail, but soon he had it all the way on. For a moment all he could do was stare at it and think over and over again, _I have a tail._

Steve slipped into the water first, and beckoned to him with one finger. “Won’t you come with me, handsome sailor?”

Bucky laughed, but kept gazing at Steve like he’d hung the moon as he slipped in with him. All of a sudden he was underwater, and he had a tail, and he was looking at Steve, his beautiful merman boyfriend, and _he was a merman himself._ He felt completely blissful and floaty, and that was only half because he was actually floating. 

He challenged himself to swim around the aquarium a bit, through groups of fish and around decorative rocks. The new swimming style was hard to get used to, and he couldn’t hold his breath as long as Steve so he had to come up for air five times for every one time Steve did. It was so different from what he’d imagined, but every bit as amazing. 

He and Steve danced with each other, holding hands and spinning through the water. They pressed little close-mouthed kisses all over each-other. Steve ran his hands through Bucky’s veil of floating hair, and Bucky pulled Steve to him and smiled into his shoulder as their tails lay against each other, and in that moment he realized that all his dreams had come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided this tale couldn't truly be finished until Bucky had experienced the joys of owning your own tail, so here you go!


End file.
